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Once upon a time in the magical land of Equestria, there was a castle of great majesty. Originally the home of Discord, the former ruler of Equestria, it had once been the site of a legendary battle. Two sisters, bound by friendship, had fought the lord of chaos and won, imprisoning him in stone. The ponies had made the sisters their princesses, and the diarchy had taken up residence in the castle of their former foe. Over time a town was built around the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters. The town was named Everfree city, for it marked the place where the ponies had been from the tyranny of Discord. The two sisters ruled over Equestria for generations to come and Equestria has been at peace ever since.

It was a dark and quiet evening Everfree city. Most of the ponies had returned to their homes, and some had even gone to bed already. But a few remained outside. Flitting through the shadows, a several dark ponies made their way to their destinations. They were searching for three specific ponies that, though they didn’t know it yet, had an audience with a princess. For though most ponies didn’t realise it, Equestria wasn’t as peaceful as they thought.

(I found it interesting you assumed my character was male. I avoided Gender-specific pronouns in my character sheet just to mess with everyone.)Thunder Bolt gave a loud groan, kicking the door to her house open and walking in with slumped shoulders. Another day, another exhausting bout of labor that accomplished nothing. Today was the day the Butcher came through to pick up the full-grown animals, and of course she had been assigned to help with that. Then there were all the standard chores, milking cows and cleaning out the barn. At least it wasn't harvest season... And she hadn't had to stay too late. With luck, she could wash up and get out for a short fly before the sun went down.

Just before she could get a basin of water ready and rinse off some of the collected mud, blood, and debris there was a knock at the door. Another loud sigh, and she trotted to answer it. There goes her evening... Opening the old wooden door, she saw a couple of royal guards standing there, waiting for her. "Eh... May I help you?" She asked, assuming they must have the wrong house. Or, maybe they thought she had been the one who had been dumping waste from the barns into the main river instead of burying it like they were supposed to. (She HAD, but that was beside the point.) "Thunder Bolt?" One guard asked."That's me. What's going on?" "We need you to come with us." Thunder paused. On the one hand, she had hoped to take the evening off and maybe do something fun. On the other, she could get thrown in jail if she refused to go with them... Better play it safe. "Okay," she said. "Oh, do I need to bring anything?" "No." She sighed, thinking to herself, Okay then, let's see what this is about.

Three pegasi guards walk into my store on the outskirts of town. The store itself is highly cluttered with screws and other small debris. There is poor light coming from candles. In the back left corner I sit and continue to work. If they want to walk into my store without so much as knocking then they can wait while I finish my work. They already have the advantage of flight-why should I give them the advantage of my time?

They cough loudly. I continue my work. I've seen these types about before. They walk around like they own the place....Sure-Luna and Celestia got rid of discord. I respect them for that. But they had not only wings, but magic to help them as well. Sometimes I wonder why other earth pon---

"Are you patent Pending" the leader asks interrupting my thoughts.

"Are you here for a reason, or do all Pegasi enjoy asking inane questions?" I respond.

"Princess Luna wishes to see you"

Such a thought made me stop my work and turn to face the winged ponies in my workspace shop and home.

"I would think the best way to see someone would be to visit them. Don't you?" I replied. Before they could respond I thought of the advantages that I may be able to obtain by visiting the castle. What hidden technologies may i be able to discover and modify for my own ends? How could i make an equivalent of magic or flight for a simple earth pony? If there was ever an opportunity to look into it, it was now. "However providing my work is not interrupted for an extended period of time, I may sate my interest as to what it is your kind bother with."

I proceed to gather some essential equipment and some of my prototypes such as a highly accurate time keeping device that allows for independence from view of the sun, a telescope, and a makeshift weapon that propels bolts at a high velocity.

It must be said that while I find the prospect of spending time with those who have advantages i was born without distasteful, I have been interested for a reasonable amount of time in the ways in which magic may enhance my work.......

As the sun set on the city plumbers crack relaxed on a stool at his usual after work spot, the salt lick pub. A thin layer of grease was smeared a across one lens of his glasses but he didn't seem the care as he clutched a frosted mug of foaming cider. "so this foal flushed a toy boat down the toilet his mom didn't seem to pleased, took me a while to find the thing." He said to no one in particular before pulling deeply on his drink. "The one time I was on vacation in some little town I ended up having to pull about half a dozen little rubber balls out of the U-bend at the bakery I asked How that happened the crazy mare looks at me and says "in case of ball emergency"Some of the people you meet on the job." Plumbers crack shook his head and motioned for another mug. The pub door opened and 2 Pegasi dressed in the uniform of the royal guard entered. The bartender looked up and said "What'll it be sirs" the First royal Guard spoke "we're looking for a Mr. Plumbers crack the supervisor at his apartment building said to check here." At the mention of his name Plumber's Crack turned around in his stool and eyed the guards. "what do you want he said with a very slight slur in his voice." "I'm afraid you're going to have to come with me sir" the guard said simply. With a sigh Plumber's Crack finished his drink and set a few bits on the bar. Hoisting his large saddlebag full of tools he sighed once again and said "all-right I don't suppose you'll tell me what it is you need" he said following the guards with a resigned look on his face. [edits formatting and corrections]

Pale Ale whistled quietly to himself as he worked, wiping down the bar top, putting clean mugs away, and mopping the floor. The inn was quiet tonight, with only a few of his regulars sitting around the bar and a pair of travellers warming their hooves by the fireplace. His daughter was already fast asleep, and his wife was in the back room, leaving Pale mostly alone with his thoughts and a slow night ahead of him.The creak of the front door opening cut through the bartender pony's musing, and he started slightly at the two imposing figures which now stood on the threshold. Pale's mind was turning to the truncheon he kept under the bar to dissuade unruly patrons, when one of the figures spoke. "Pale Ale?" It asked, stepping forward and revealing itself to be a Royal guardspony, "We need you to come with us.""I'm assuming I don't have much choice in the matter?" Pale asked as he stepped out from behind the bar. "I'm afraid not sir," said the guard simply."Amber!" Pale called into the back room, "I'm going out, I may be some time." He turned back to the guardspony, trying unsuccessfully to hide the quiver in his voice. "I trust you will allow me to pack first?"

Patent was led outside by the guards, and promptly asked to get inside an arrest wagon. “You aren’t under arrest, this is a just security precaution,” one of the guards said softly, forestalling Patent’s protests. He seemed decidedly grumpy at this turn of events, but climbed in anyway; the guards didn’t look like they would have taken no for an answer.

The guards pulled the wagon through the city, stopping to pick up each of the ponies. The guards told them all not to speak to each other, so they travelled in silence until they reached the castle.

Upon arrival, the ponies were quickly led into a small featureless room in an apparently deserted part of the castle. Two guards stayed with them while the rest left on other business. Almost immediately, Patent started complaining.

“Well, where is she then? I’ve got better things to do with my time than wait for-” he stopped talking abruptly as a purple mist seeped in through a wall and formed into a tall figure, immediately recognisable as the princess by her wings and horn, ethereal mane and dark blue regalia. Thunder Bolt, Plumbers Crack and Pale Ale immediately bowed to her, followed a moment later by Patent Pending who decided that there was no sense antagonising the guards any further.

“Rise” commanded Luna. When they had done so, she began to speak once more. “We have summoned you here to ask for your assistance in a serious matter. Perhaps you have heard of the objects known of the Elements of Harmony. If you haven’t, suffice it to say they are powerful artefacts that my sister and I used to defeat Discord. They were kept in a hidden vault below this castle ever since, until one week ago when a group of ponies managed to steal them, killing several royal guards in the process.”

All four of the ponies displayed at least some surprise at this. After a moment, Luna continued. “We have of course been investigating how this was possible. There is no doubt that this was a very well planned and executed plot. Fortunately we believe we have located the group and know where they are keeping the Elements. Unfortunately, the highly successful nature of the heist leads us to believe they have spies inside the royal guard. As such, while we have been able to locate them without tipping them off, any attempt to apprehend them would most likely fail, as the operation would be too big to hide from their spy. This is where you come in.”

“Our agents have informed us that they are using various different defences to guard the Elements. While the exact nature of these defences is unknown, we believe that you four have the necessary skills to overcome them.” Luna appeared not to notice the sceptical looks that some of the foursome were giving. “As such we are asking you to go on a quest to retrieve the Elements. We aren’t asking you to fight the thieves; indeed direct contact will jeopardise the mission and is to be avoided. The Elements are all that matter.”

"I've got a question," Thunder Bolt said, looking around at the group. "I get why you need me, and the egghead makes sense, but why do you need the, eh..." she had many choice words, but few that were fit for royal ears. "Them. The uh, bartender and one if his patrons. I mean, no offense, but I don't think the thieves are gonna need their plumbing looked at..." she hoped this would not be considered rude. She didn't have a problem with earth ponies or unicorns, she just didn't see how these ones specifically would be any help."Oh, and is there a reward on the elements?"

Despite the question being about other ponies, Princess Luna addressed Thunder Bolt directly. "The details are not known to us. In the interests of security, our agents were only able to send short, coded messages. You will get more information from a one of the in Canterlot. From what we were told, there is probably a defence that utilises hydrolics or similar mechanisms, hence Mr. Crack. As for Mr. Ale, the message mentioned a spell of some kind, and suggested him specifically. I don't know anything about the spell, but my agent remembered Mr. Ale from somewhere. I don't think they know each other though. Possibly he was a customer."

"As for a reward," she added archly, "I am sure some form of recompense can be arranged. An anonymous monetary reward, probably, as we would prefer this incident kept quiet."

"Don't call me an egghead wingy [for want of a better derogatory term towards pegasi]. And at least a plumber fixes stuff-you can probably only fly around and bother people with what looks like storms if you're cutie mark is anything to go by.

In regards to the mission that the fabled alicorn's are unable to complete-I'm always happy to outdo you guys at your own games."

[note-as Thunder called me an egghead, my character will be primarily racist towards him for the most part until Pale Ale actually uses magic-when i will turn some attention to him]

Realising that antagonising someone with as much power (both magically and politically) as luna was a bad idea, Patent quickly adds "though i'm sure running Equestria takes an amazing amount of your large portion of power" making sure to keep the end slightly sarcastic so Luna is under no false impression of what Patent thinks of her.

[If i start going overboard with the whole hates other races thing, please warn me-i don't want to have to re roll this early in the story (have had irl games where my character was killed due to not being particularly group viable....or for offending a dignitary.).]

"Yeah, II've got one. Did the egghead just call me a '×÷!!% $&?'?" Thunder was pissed. "I'm sorry, I must have missed the part where you can break the sound barrier and walk on clouds." Turning to Patent, she gave him a shove with her front hooves. "Seriously, you can go ahead and screw with whatever metal toys you want, we pegasi get shit done." She made an obscene gesture with her hoof, before she too remembered who was there."Er, pardon my french, princess..." she said in a small voice. "Er... excuse my vulgarity."

"Yes, princess." Pale Ale licked his lips nervously. "I would ask 'why us?' but I'm sure you have your reasons. Regardless, I have a business to run and a wife and daughter whom I would very much like to go back to. The only way that's going to happen is if we do as you ask, so when do we begin?"

"You will set off for Canterlot tomorrow morning. After we are done here, you will be escorted to the storerooms to gather what provisions and other equipment you feel you will need. For security reasons you will spend the night here, but you may give messages to one of the guards; he will see that your family receives them. Do not worry about your family or your business; they will be given enough money to get by until your return." Luna glanced at Plumbers Crack. "Anything else?"